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　　TheTartarstookthesaddleandtrappings。Thered-beardedTartarmountedhishorse，andtheothersliftedZh&iacute；linintothesaddlebehindhim。Topreventhisfallingoff，theystrappedhimtotheTartar’sgirdle；andthentheyallrodeawaytothehills。

　　SotheresatZh&iacute；lin，swayingfromsidetoside，hisheadstrikingagainsttheTartar’sstinkingback。Hecouldseenothingbutthatmuscularbackandsinewyneck，withitscloselyshaven，bluishnape。

　　Zh&iacute；lin’sheadwaswounded:thebloodhaddriedoverhiseyes，andhecouldneithershifthispositiononthesaddlenorwipethebloodoff。Hisarmswereboundsotightlythathiscollar-bonesached。

　　Theyrodeupanddownhillsforalongway。Thentheyreachedariverwhichtheyforded，andcametoahardroadleadingacrossavalley。

　　Zh&iacute；lintriedtoseewheretheyweregoing，buthiseyelidswerestucktogetherwithblood，andhecouldnotturn。

　　Twilightbegantofall；theycrossedanotherriverandrodeupastonyhillside。Therewasasmellofsmokehere，anddogswerebarking。TheyhadreachedanAoulaTartarvillage。TheTartarsgotofftheirhorses；TartarchildrencameandstoodroundZh&iacute；lin，shriekingwithpleasureandthrowingstonesathim。

　　TheTartardrovethechildrenaway，tookZh&iacute；linoffthehorse，andcalledhisman。ANog&aacute；y[5]withhighcheek-bones，andnothingonbutashirtandthatsotornthathisbreastwasallbare，answeredthecall。TheTartargavehimanorder。Hewentandfetchedshackles:twoblocksofoakwithironringsattached，andaclaspandlockfixedtooneoftherings。

　　TheyuntiedZh&iacute；lin’sarms，fastenedtheshacklesonhisleg，anddraggedhimtoabarn，wheretheypushedhiminandlockedthedoor。

　　Zh&iacute；linfellonaheapofmanure。Helaystillawhilethengropedabouttofindasoftplace，andsettleddown。

　　ThatnightZh&iacute；linhardlysleptatall。Itwasthetimeofyearwhenthenightsareshort，anddaylightsoonshoweditselfthroughachinkinthewall。Herose，scratchedtomakethechinkbigger，andpeepedout。

　　Throughtheholehesawaroadleadingdown-hill；totherightwasaTartarhutwithtwotreesnearit，ablackdoglayonthethreshold，andagoatandkidsweremovingaboutwaggingtheirtails。

　　ThenhesawayoungTartarwomaninalong，loose，bright-colouredgown，withtrousersandhighbootsshowingfromunderit。Shehadacoatthrownoverherhead，onwhichshecarriedalargemetaljugfilledwithwater。Shewasleadingbythehandasmall，closely-shavenTartarboy，whoworenothingbutashirt；andasshewentalongbalancingherself，themusclesofherbackquivered。Thiswomancarriedthewaterintothehut，and，soonafter，thered-beardedTartarofyesterdaycameoutdressedinasilktunic，withasilver-hilteddaggerhangingbyhisside，shoesonhisbarefeet，andatallblacksheepskincapsetfarbackonhishead。Hecameout，stretchedhimself，andstrokedhisredbeard。Hestoodawhile，gaveanordertohisservant，andwentaway。

　　Thentwoladsrodepastfromwateringtheirhorses。Thehorses’noseswerewet。Someotherclosely-shavenboysranout，withoutanytrousers，andwearingnothingbuttheirshirts。Theycrowdedtogether，cametothebarn，pickedupatwig，andbeganpushingitinatthechink。Zh&iacute；lingaveashout，andtheboysshriekedandscamperedoff，theirlittlebarekneesgleamingastheyran。

　　Zh&iacute；linwasverythirsty:histhroatwasparched，andhethought:

　　’Ifonlytheywouldcomeandsomuchaslookatme！’

　　Thenheheardsomeoneunlockingthebarn。Thered-beardedTartarentered，andwithhimwasanotherasmallerman，dark，withbrightblackeyes，redcheeksandashortbeard。Hehadamerryface，andwasalwayslaughing。Thismanwasevenmorerichlydressedthantheother。Heworeabluesilktunictrimmedwithgold，alargesilverdaggerinhisbelt，redmoroccoslippersworkedwithsilver，andovertheseapairofthickshoes，andhehadawhitesheepskincaponhishead。

　　Thered-beardedTartarentered，mutteredsomethingasifhewereannoyed，andstoodleaningagainstthedoorpost，playingwithhisdagger，andglaringaskanceatZh&iacute；lin，likeawolf。

　　Thedarkone，quickandlivelyandmovingasifonsprings，camestraightuptoZh&iacute；lin，squatteddowninfrontofhim，slappedhimontheshoulder，andbegantotalkveryfastinhisownlanguage。Histeethshowed，andhekeptwinking，clickinghistongue，andrepeating，’GoodRuss，goodRuss。’

　　Zh&iacute；lincouldnotunderstandaword，butsaid，’Drink！givemewatertodrink！’

　　Thedarkmanonlylaughed。’GoodRuss，’hesaid，andwentontalkinginhisowntongue。

　　Zh&iacute；linmadesignswithlipsandhandsthathewantedsomethingtodrink。

　　Thedarkmanunderstood，andlaughed。Thenhelookedoutofthedoor，andcalledtosomeone:’Dina！’

　　Alittlegirlcamerunningin:shewasaboutthirteen，slight，thin，andlikethedarkTartarinface。Evidentlyshewashisdaughter。

　　She，too，hadclearblackeyes，andherfacewasgood-looking。Shehadonalongbluegownwithwidesleeves，andnogirdle。

　　Thehemofhergown，thefront，andthesleeves，weretrimmedwithred。Sheworetrousersandslippers，andovertheslippersstoutershoeswithhighheels。RoundherneckshehadanecklacemadeofRussiansilvercoins。Shewasbareheaded，andherblackhairwasplaitedwitharibbonandornamentedwithgiltbraidandsilvercoins。

　　Herfathergaveanorder，andsheranawayandreturnedwithametaljug。ShehandedthewatertoZh&iacute；linandsatdown，crouchingsothatherkneeswereashighasherhead，andthereshesatwithwideopeneyeswatchingZh&iacute；lindrink，asthoughhewereawildanimal。

　　WhenZh&iacute；linhandedtheemptyjugbacktoher，shegavesuchasuddenjumpback，likeawildgoat，thatitmadeherfatherlaugh。Hesentherawayforsomethingelse。Shetookthejug，ranout，andbroughtbacksomeunleavenedbreadonaroundboard，andoncemoresatdown，crouching，andlookingonwithstaringeves。

　　ThentheTartarswentawayandagainlockedthedoor。

　　AfterawhiletheNog&aacute；ycameandsaid:’Ayda，themaster，Ayda！’

　　He，too，knewnoRussian。AllZh&iacute；lincouldmakeoutwasthathewastoldtogosomewhere。

　　Zh&iacute；linfollowedtheN&oacute；gay，butlimped，fortheshacklesdraggedhisfeetsothathecouldhardlystepatall。OngettingoutofthebarnhesawaTartarvillageofabouttenhouses，andaTartarchurchwithasmalltower。Threehorsesstoodsaddledbeforeoneofthehouses；littleboyswereholdingthembythereins。ThedarkTartarcameoutofthishouse，beckoningwithhishandforZh&iacute；lintofollowhim。Thenhelaughed，saidsomethinginhisownlanguage，andreturnedintothehouse。

　　Zh&iacute；linentered。Theroomwasagoodone:thewallssmoothlyplasteredwithclay。Nearthefrontwalllayapileofbright-colouredfeatherbeds；thesidewallswerecoveredwithrichcarpetsusedashangings，andonthesewerefastenedguns，pistolsandswords，allinlaidwithsilver。Closetooneofthewallswasasmallstoveonalevelwiththeearthenfloor。Theflooritselfwasascleanasathrashing-ground。Alargespaceinonecornerwasspreadoverwithfelt，onwhichwererugs，andontheserugswerecushionsstuffedwithdown。AndonthesecushionssatfiveTartars，thedarkone，thered-hairedone，andthreeguests。Theywerewearingtheirindoorslippers，andeachhadacushionbehindhisback。Beforethemwerestandingmilletcakesonaroundboard，meltedbutterinabowlandajugofbuza，orTartarbeer。Theyatebothcakesandbutterwiththeirhands。

　　ThedarkmanjumpedupandorderedZh&iacute；lintobeplacedononeside，notonthecarpetbutonthebareground，thenhesatdownonthecarpetagain，andofferedmilletcakesandbuzatohisguests。TheservantmadeZh&iacute；linsitdown，afterwhichhetookoffhisownovershoes，putthembythedoorwheretheothershoeswerestanding，andsatdownnearertohismastersonthefelt，watchingthemastheyate，andlickinghislips。

　　TheTartarsateasmuchastheywanted，andawomandressedinthesamewayasthegirl——inalonggownandtrousers，withakerchiefonherhead——cameandtookawaywhatwasleft，andbroughtahandsomebasin，andanewerwithanarrowspout。

　　TheTartarswashedtheirhands，foldedthem，wentdownontheirknees，blewtothefourquarters，andsaidtheirprayers。Aftertheyhadtalkedforawhile，oneofthegueststurnedtoZh&iacute；linandbegantospeakinRussian。

　　’YouwerecapturedbyKazi-Mohammed，’hesaid，andpointedatthered-beardedTartar。’AndKazi-MohammedhasgivenyoutoAbdulMurat，’pointingatthedarkone。’AbdulMuratisnowyourmaster。’

　　Zh&iacute；linwassilent。ThenAbdulMuratbegantotalk，laughing，pointingtoZh&iacute；lin，andrepeating，’SoldierRuss，goodRuss。’

　　Theinterpretersaid，’Heordersyoutowritehomeandtellthemtosendaransom，andassoonasthemoneycomeshewillsetyoufree。’

　　Zh&iacute；linthoughtforamoment，andsaid，’Howmuchransomdoeshewant？’

　　TheTartarstalkedawhile，andthentheinterpretersaid，’Threethousandroubles。’

　　’No，’saidZh&iacute；lin，’Ican’tpaysomuch。’

　　Abduljumpedupand，wavinghisarms，talkedtoZh&iacute；lin’thinking，asbefore，thathewouldunderstand。Theinterpretertranslated:’Howmuchwillyougive？’

　　Zh&iacute；linconsidered，andsaid，’Fivehundredroubles。’AtthistheTartarsbeganspeakingveryquickly，alltogether。Abdulbegantoshoutatthered-beardedone，andjabberedsofastthatthespittlespurtedoutofhismouth。Thered-beardedoneonlyscreweduphiseyesandclickedhistongue。

　　Theyquieteneddownafterawhile，andtheinterpretersaid，’Fivehundredroublesisnotenoughforthemaster。Hepaidtwohundredforyouhimself。Kazi-Mohammedwasindebttohim，andhetookyouinpayment。Threethousandroubles！Lessthanthatwon’tdo。Ifyourefusetowrite，youwillbeputintoapitandfloggedwithawhip！’

　　’Eh！’thoughtZh&iacute；lin，’themoreonefearsthemtheworseitwillbe。’

　　Sohesprangtohisfeet，andsaid，’YoutellthatdogthatifhetriestofrightenmeIwillnotwriteatall，andhewillgetnothing。I